Free Sailing
by SavvyJane93
Summary: Aries has been a slave for as long as she can remember. But she has had enough. She wants nothing more than to be free. But how can she escape from the clutches of a Captain that she has never seen? Luffy x OC (Rated M for later content)
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! Welcome to my One Piece story! Hope you enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: One Piece belongs to Oda-sensei.**

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The sound of rustling chains and loud waves woke the tired girl from her sleep. The girl lifted her head to look out the bars of her cell. Her light blonde hair matted and tangled in front of her face. Her eyes felt dry and all she wanted was to go back to sleep. Footsteps approached her cell. The heavy grate door opened and someone walked up to her.

"Hey... You awake?" The voice whispered gently.

The girl turned her head towards the person, wishing her hands were free so she could push her matted hair out of her eyes. As if reading her mind, the newcomer pushed her hair away from her face. Before the girl was a young looking man with slicked back hair and a large x shaped scar on his left cheek. His eyes were a light shade of golden brown. He wore a dark suit jacket with no shirt under it, exposing his bare chest, and matching pants. On his head was a red bandana.

"We arrived at a new island. You should eat something before they come down to get you ready. Here, let's get you out of these cuffs." The man leaned over her and unlocked the chains that held her arms above her head. As soon as the restrictions were free, the girl's dark blue eyes seemed to come back alive.

She whispered words of thanks as she ran her fingers through her tangled mane, taking care to not get the strands wrapped around the spiral horns protruding from the sides of her head. The fleece arm warmers that covered her hands all the way to above her elbows felt soft as it brushed against her cheeks.

The man held out a small loaf of bread and a canister of water. The blonde gave him a weak smile before nibbling on the bread. She took a small gulp of water, the cool liquid feeling good against her dry throat. "W-which island are we on now, Oki?"

His sharp golden eyes looked over her weak form. She was a young girl about age sixteen with naturally wavy light blonde hair that fell to about her mid back. Her eyes were a deep dark blue that mimicked the color of the sea. She was wearing a fleece strapless dress that came down to her mid-thigh. The rest of her legs were covered by pale blue socks that came up just above the knee and fleece legwarmers.

"It's a merchant island called Bazaar Island. I gotta go. I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer Aries." Oki patted her on the head, took the water canister from her hand, and darted out of the cell after closing the large door.

Aries sighed to herself as she moved away from the shackles that held her to the wall. She knew it wouldn't be long until the prep team came down to prepare her for the new auction. She leaned her head back against the wooded wall of her cell, the waves rocking the large boat. Tears gathered behind her eyelids. She could feel the warm liquid spill out and flow down her cheeks. She let her head fall forward, chin almost resting on her chest. Her soft hair moved with her sudden movement, some pieces sticking to the fresh tears along her face.

"When will this nightmare be over?"

* * *

The warm summer breeze drifted over the deck of the Going Merry. The Straw Hat crew was up to its normal rowdiness. Nami was beating Luffy over the head with her newspaper. The captain was still so excited about his new bounty poster. His grin still stretched across his lips. Zoro, the crew's first mate, had drifted off back into his nap. Sanji, the crew's chef and newest member, was busy in the kitchen preparing lunch. And Usopp the sniper was attempting to fish for dinner, but getting no bites.

"A 30 million beri bounty is nothing to be happy over, Luffy! Stronger opponents are gonna come after us now!" the navigator yelled shrilly as she hit her captain once more over the head.

The dark haired boy rubbed his head, his grin changing into a childish pout. "So?"

Nami growled and went to hit him again when the blonde cook interrupted. "Luffy! Did you eat ALL the food in the kitchen last night?!" the chef's voice was angry, his visible eye glared darkly at the rubber boy.

The idiot captain turned his head to the side, sticking his pinky up his nose. "Yep."

Sanji smashed his heel down on top of the captain's head. "Damn it, Luffy! That food was supposed to last until we made it to Logue Town!" He ran one hand through his hair before lighting another cigarette. "Nami, my dear, we are going to have to stop to restock unless Usopp can actually catch something."

Nami also hit the captain before turning to the long-nosed boy. "Any luck?"

Usopp shook his head, his black curly hair bouncing with his movement. "Nope. Not a single bite. The fish in these waters must not like the bait we have."

Nami growled again and walked inside the storage room and down the steps into the girls' quarters. She returned to the deck with a map of the East Blue. She stared at it for a few moments before pointing to a rather large island towards the south. "We aren't far from Bazaar Island. It isn't off course at all and it's famous for its markets. We'll stop there."

Usopp jumped up, put his fishing gear away, and ran to move the rudder according to Nami's orders.

Luffy stretched his arms and launched himself on the Going Merry's ram head. "Alright! To a new island!"

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**Thanks for reading! Don't forget to Review and Follow/Favorite! :]**


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh my goodness! I have reviewers! *o*** **Thank you all so much for taking the time to write your feelings about my story. It really means a lot to me. :) I hope this new chapter lives up to you expectations.**

**Disclaimer: Of course One Piece belongs to Oda-Sensei**

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Aries lifted her head as a group of female pirates entered her cell. They were large women with thick arm muscles. She knew that they could easily stop her if she were to try and escape. Too bad she just didn't have the energy to fight back anymore. They easily hoisted the teen girl to her feet and drug her out of the dungeon part of the ship before coming to the prep room. The ladies tossed her in the shower, before washing her woolen clothes. The blonde girl washed herself with the fresh smelling soap and washed her still tangled hair. She finished quickly and took a towel from one of the prep team.

They gave the blonde girl a clean set of her woolen wardrobe. She slowly slipped on her normal strapless fleece dress, the soft material warm and familiar against her skin. Next was her pale blue knee high socks and fleece legwarmers. Finally she put on her fleece arm warmers and her brown wedge ankle boots. One of the larger women pushed her down in a chair and the team started putting on her makeup and doing her hair.

After a few minutes, they finished dolling the young girl up. Slowly, Aries turned to look in the mirror that hung in the room. For this auction, they had curled her hair into bigger waves and pulled the blonde tresses into a side ponytail that started just under her spiral horn. Her makeup was very natural and light. She stared at her reflection with an emotionless face, eyes void of any feelings. The female pirates pulled her back onto her feet and tied her hands behind her back. The largest woman gave her a rough shove and led her out into the hall.

At the top of the steps that lead out to the deck stood a tall man. His skin was tan from a life on the seas and his arms were littered with scars. His hair was short against his head and the same woody brown as the planks of the ship. But it was his eyes that scared Aries. His irises were tiny and black. His gaze felt so sharp she thought it would cut her. This was number three on her list of most frightening men, Shin. He was the first mate of the captain that held her prisoner.

"Off to another auction then, eh Ram?" His words were slurred. Not surprising seeing as he was never sober.

She cast her eyes away, chills shooting across her skin. The drunk let out a loud laugh and started to walk away. "I might be a little late coming to get you this time! Gotta make the most of the bars while we're on land, ya know?! But don't worry, I'll fetch you in time for our usual match!" He laughed louder and entered the town. The blonde girl shuddered and clenched her fists.

The walk off the ship and through town was a blur to the blonde teen. She had kept her eyes looking forward at the pirate in front of her, but she wasn't really seeing anything. She had retreated into the depths of her mind, wishing for her freedom. When she finally came back to reality, she was being shoved onto a dimly lit stage.

Nervously, she walked forward a few steps before a spotlight shone down on her. She winced at the sudden bright light, but her eyes adjusted quickly. The audience was still too dark to make out, but she could feel their evil eyes wandering over her.

A loud voice rang out from her left, "Next on our auction list is a devil fruit user! Her name is Aries the Sheep. Her fruit powers come from the Wool-Wool Fruit Ram Model! Bidding will start at two million beris!"

Aries let her head fall, allowing her bangs to hide her eyes. _Someone please. Save me._

* * *

"LAND!" Luffy shouted from the Going Merry's figure head. His cheer stirred Zoro who was napping against the ship's railing. The green haired swordsman glared up at his captain. He grunted and closed his eyes again.

Nami stood from her chair and started yelling orders to the crew to prepare for docking. Soon, the caravel was docked at a pier out of the way. The crew gathered on the deck to listen to Nami's orders.

"Alright! We aren't going to dock here for long! We are here to get food rations that will last us until we reach Logue Town in a couple of days. So some of us need to stay with the ship."

Sanji slipped his hands in his pockets. "Well obviously I'm going." He paused before wiggling towards the orange haired navigator. "Would you like to come with me, Nami-swan?"

Nami took a slight step back. "I'm going stay here and finish up some maps. Plus some of the guys should go with you to help carry the rations."

The captain's hand shot into the air. "Me! Me! I wanna go!" He jumped a little, his grin stretched from ear to ear.

The blonde chef sighed in disappointment and ruffled his hair. "Fine, Luffy. You can come along."

Usopp adjusted the strap of his satchel. "I'm gonna tag along. I want to talk to the local fisherman about what bait I should be using."

Nami nodded and started making her way back to the helm. "Then that leaves me and Zoro with the Merry. Don't stay out too long! I want to set sail again before dark!"

The dark haired captain's grin grew, which Usopp thought was impossible. He ran and jumped of the railing and onto the wooden dock below. Sanji and the sniper followed calmly behind their energetic friend.

* * *

The auction didn't last long. They never did. The faster the bidding occurred, the faster the people involved could get out undiscovered by the Marines. Aries was sitting in the holding cage with a few other girls. She couldn't remember how much she went for this time, and frankly, she didn't care. She kept her head down until one of the workers called her name.

The young girl lifted her head slowly and peered out from under her bangs. She could makes out three figures on the other side of the bars. Two of them were auction workers, she could tell by their scent. They smelled of sweat and perfume. The third figure must have been the one who won her auction. The corners of her mouth twitched in disgust. His scent was a mixture of fatty foods and rose soap. This time she had caught the eye of a crooked noble.

She walked gracefully over to the cage door and let the workers tug her out. Their grip on her upper arms was hard, but not as painful as the grip from the ladies on the pirate prep team. She stood in front of her new master, her deep blue eyes hard as stone. She stared up at his ugly face. His toothy grin was grotesque. He pulled a knife from a sheath at his side and cut the ropes that bond her hands behind her back.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. His knife against her side. He leaned down and breathed on her neck. Aries had to force herself not to shudder. "Let's go home, Aries."

The sheep girl tried her hardest not to gag. His breath reeked. His mouth was twisted in a snide grin. He pressed the knife harder against her. She could feel the sharp blade digging into her skin through the warm fleece of her dress. She winced and the man dragged her from the building.

* * *

After a few hours of shopping for food (and Sanji beating Luffy for trying to eat it all), the boys were ready to head back to their ship. Sanji took a long drag of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke into the air. Both he and Luffy were loaded down with bags of food. The chef had gotten a little carried away with the shopping. And now, they had lost Usopp.

Sanji groaned and took another drag of his smoke. "Where the hell did that long nose run off to? He was right here a few minutes ago."

Luffy blinked cluelessly and looked around the fish market. "Maybe he went back to the Merry."

"Or he could be talking to more fishermen about his inability to catch fish." The chef lit another cigarette, smirking.

The black haired boy laughed and shifted the bags he was carrying. "Yeah, maybe."

"Guys!" The sniper came running up carrying a bag of his own. "I talked to some fishermen and got some good bait." He hung his head as he paused. "But they said that bait is only half our problem. Apparently, I suck at fishing."

Sanji tried hard to choke down his laughter while their captain openly laughed at their poor friend. "We could've told you that Usopp!"

The curly haired coward yelled, "Thanks for the support, Luffy!"

Sanji let out a few chuckles as he stamped out his cigarette. "Let's head back to the ship."

The others nodded and they started making their way back to the pier.

* * *

The noble shoved Aries against the wall of an alleyway just off the main strip of the market. His large hand on her shoulder, keeping her pinned to the stone wall behind her. He moved his knife to press against her pale neck. Her eyes widened in fear and her voice was lost in her throat. The gross man snickered and pressed his nose against the soft flesh of her jaw.

"You're prettier than the other girls I've bought. I think I'll take my time when I have my fun with you. Too bad I have to kill you when I finish."

Her heart dropped into her stomach. Her eyes watched his every movement. _No more wishing for a savior. I have to escape now. Shin isn't going to save me in time, so I have to do something._

She glared at him, her eyes sparkling with her determination. She growled and smashed her forehead against his, knocking him back. She pushed off the wall and started to run towards the market, hoping to finally be free.

"Oh no you don't!"

Suddenly, she felt a hot flash of pain in her left side. She let out a shriek and looked down to see that the noble had sliced her with his knife. She quickly placed her hand over the wound, white fleece slowly being stained red. In her moment of distraction, the noble was able to knock her off her feet and onto the ground. He loomed over her, angry and ready to kill her. His eyes were hidden by his oily bangs, but she could feel the heat of his glare on her face. Fearfully, she rolled over onto her back and sat up, trying to scoot away.

"Stay back! I'm warning you!" she shouted at him, hot tears burning at the corners of her eyes. She didn't want it to end like this.

* * *

Sanji turned around, staring at the street behind them.

"What's up, Sanji?" Luffy asked from a little bit ahead.

"Did you guys hear that scream?" The chef frowned deeply.

"Scream?" Usopp the coward sunk down closer to the street, knees shaking.

"It sounded like a girl."

The Straw Hat's captain stuck a finger in his ear. "I didn't hear anything."

"Well I did." He quickly shoved the bags he was carrying into Usopp's arms before running back down the street.

* * *

The noble stepped closer and sneered. He pressed a hand against the side of his head. He was bleeding slightly. One of her horns must have scratched him.

"How dare you attack me and make me bleed! A noble! Your master! Now be a good slave and di-"

A swift kick to the face shut him up real quick. A blonde man in a nice black suit stood over Aries, foot still raised. "I'm sorry, but any man who hurts a lady doesn't deserve to live."

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**Thank you all for reading! Hope you enjoyed it! Please review and follow/favorite! :D And I hope you all have a nice day!**


	3. Chapter 3

Aries watched in awe as the tall, blonde man picked the noble off the ground and clutched the front of his dirty pressed shirt in his fist. His gaze was harsh.

**Hi! Welcome to chapter 3! Sorry for the long wait. Family and work has kept me away from my writing, plus the plot bunnies didn't make this chapter easy. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: As always, One Piece = Oda-sensei's**

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"Harming a beautiful woman is unforgiveable," the blonde man spoke through gritted teeth.

The sound of footsteps approaching caught the young sheep girl's attention, but she could not tear her eyes away from her savior. She felt the presence of two people standing on either side of her.

"Sanji! Why did you run off like that? You dropped my meat! That wasn't very nice. I was gonna eat it later," a voice whined to her left.

A shriek came from her right and the person crouched down beside her.

"You're hurt! Are you alright?!" This new voice was laced with worry and concern. Slowly, Aries tore her dark blue eyes from the sharply dressed blonde, who was now kicking the noble into a bloody pile, and looked at the boy kneeling next to her. He had an olive complexion with black curly hair kept in place with a dark green bandana and goggles. His eyes were looking down at the red spot growing from under her hand.

"I'm fine," she managed to choke out. She turned to look at the owner of the whining voice. It was another black haired boy, but this one was very different from the one by her side. This boy stood tall with his head held high, as if he wasn't afraid of anything. His dark eyes were friendly and yet fierce at the same time. He wore a red button up vest, denim short that went to his knees, and a normal pair of sandals. Her eyes were drawn back to his face, taking in his large toothy grin. He placed one hand on top of his straw hat and cheered on the blonde man.

She turned back to her rescuer just as he started to walk towards her. He ran his fingers through his hair and knelt down in front of her. He gently took her hand in his larger one and kissed the back of it. The teen girl felt her cheeks heat up at the gesture. It was then that she got a good look at his face. It was a handsome man, with a curly eyebrow and one eye hidden behind his blonde bangs. He also had the start of a beard on his chin.

"I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner, my sweet. Maybe if I had, I could have stopped that horrible man from hurting such a beautiful creature." The blonde man raised his head and gave her a loving gaze. "And what is the lovely lady called, eh?" He seemed to wiggle as he spoke.

Aries leaned away from him and pulled her and from his grasp and raised it to cover one of her spiral horns. The movement drew the three boys attention to them rather than hide them like she hoped.

"Oh wow! Are those real?!" The boy in the straw hat leaned down and touched the horn closest to him. The girl jerked away and covered both with her hands.

"Yes they're real." Her voice was tense, her eyes frightened.

The blonde man swooned and mumbled something about 'sounding like an angel', but Aries didn't pay much attention to him. With both her hands covering her spiral horns, her knife wound was fully visible to her saviors. All three got serious at the sight of the still growing red stain coming through her white fleece dress.

"You need to get that treated right away!" the curly haired boy said. His face gave away how worried and concerned he was for the girl. That was something she wasn't used to.

Again the blonde boy apologized for not saving her soon and he gave the unconscious noble another swift kick. The boy in the red vest moved from her left side to sit crossed legged in front of her. He stared at her face for a little while before smiling. "Hi. My name's Luffy. The coward next to you is Usopp and the guy with the curly eyebrow is Sanji. What's your name?"

Aries blinked, dumbfounded. _Just who are these guys? _She watched in almost childlike wonder as her savior, who she now knew was named Sanji, kicked Luffy in the head for not introducing him better. Usopp also yelled at the friendly boy about calling him a coward. Luffy covered his head and yelled out an apology followed by merry laughter while the other two continued to hit him.

The young woman felt the corners of her lips twitch upwards into a small smile and little giggles gathered in the back of her throat. The small sounds stopped the boys' scuffle. The three were confused at first but smiled at her. Usopp took his foot off his friend's head and crouched down in front of the still injured girl. Her giggles faded and her smile shrunk, but her eyes were much brighter than before. She eyed the long-nosed boy warily, but didn't back away.

"That wound of yours is serious. You should get it treated. We could take you back to our ship and have our navigator do it. I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

Aries stared into his eyes, searching for any malicious intent. When she didn't find any, she nodded slowly, allowing Usopp to help her back to her feet. He held her arm and led her towards the docks, while Luffy and Sanji picked up bags of food and followed behind them.

As they walked down the main street, Usopp told the sheep girl all about the group's ship. It was called the Going Merry and they got it from his friend back in Syrup Village. Then he starting telling her about his great adventures as the Great Captain Usopp. The girl tried to pay attention to his tales, but her eyes darted back and forth searching for any sign of the pirates that brought her here. These travelers were nice. She didn't want them to get caught up in her messy life.

Before she knew it, the group was at the docks, standing before a small caravel ship with a ram figurehead. Aries couldn't help chuckle at the irony and absentmindedly tucked a strand of hair behind one of her horns. She watched the skinny olive skinned Usopp quickly climb up the rope ladder and over the railing of the ship. She let her dark blue eyes drift over the course rope ladder and winced. Climbing would definitely hurt with the slash in her side.

She pressed her hand against the wound and turned to question the other two boys. Both Luffy and Sanji still had their arms full of bags containing food. She watched in amazement as they tossed the bags effortlessly up into the air. Another man, this one with short green hair, caught them and carried them out of sight. As she blinked in surprise at their great display of strength, she was lifted off her feet and pressed against a strong, broad chest.

Quickly, she whipped her head around to stare into the visible eye of her curly-browed handler. His suave grin almost took her breath away. "A lovely princess shouldn't have to climb when she is in such a condition. I shall carry you aboard, milady."

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. She cast her gaze on the wooden walls of the ship. She felt the muscles in his chest tense as he crouched. Suddenly, he leapt high into the air. Aries felt a squeak escape her lips as she clutched Sanji's black suit jacket in her fists. Her eyes looked around at the ship that was coming up fast beneath them, when her eyes landed on the sail.

Panic bubbled in her gut. Fear gripped her heart. There on the biggest sail was a jolly roger wearing a straw hat. _They- They're pirates!_

Sanji landed gracefully on the wooden deck of the small ship, cooing over the sheep girl in his arms. But her attention was everywhere but him. Her eyes searched for an escape route. Her frightened orbs moved back to the railing where she had just come from in time to see hands grab the white wood and a body go flinging past. Her jaw dropped as she watched Luffy shoot through the air, holding his straw hat to his head, laughing like an idiot. He stretched his arm out to grab the mast and pulled himself back onto the Going Merry's deck.

_Another Devil Fruit user? This isn't good. I need to get out of here. I finally thought I was free… but I've just entered a deeper layer of hell._

She struggled in the blonde chef's arms, pushing hard against his strong chest. Surprised by her sudden force, his arms loosened around her body. She slipped out of his grasp and crashed into the wooden planks. She pushed herself to her feet and backed up against the mast. She couldn't stop the shivers that wrecked her body. Her vision clouded with unshed tears, panic taking over her thoughts.

Someone touched her shoulder gently and spoke to her, but the words sounded muddled to her panic-stricken brain. Her body reacted to the touch before she could register the movement. Her fleece covered fist made contact with the person's face. Her vision cleared as the tears slipped over. Her fist was still outstretched and Usopp was lying on the ground, his left cheek already starting to swell. Stuttering, she let her arm fall limp. More tears welled up in the corner of her eyes, guilt sitting heavy in her stomach.

She tried to form words of an apology, but couldn't get them out. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she felt a harsh glare land on her back. She turned slowly to meet the icy stare of the green haired man. He pointed a sword at her before charging. She ducked below the deadly blade, covering her head with her arms. The green haired man's blade stuck in the thick wood of the mast. She looked up at him through her bangs, eyes turning serious.

She shifted her weight and sprung forward, slamming her head into his gut, her rough bone horns digging painfully in his skin. The blow knocked the swordsman off his feet and onto his back. A collective gasp sounded from everyone at the sight of their crew mate being taken down.

Aries spun on the ball of her foot and started running towards the railing of the ship.

"Oh no you don't!" a female voice shouted behind her.

A strong whack to the back of the head sent the blonde sheep girl down to the ground. She tried to push herself back up, but was rewarded with another strong strike. Then, her world went black.

* * *

Nami stood above the shorter blonde girl, her wooden staff in hand. Her pretty face contorted into an ugly scowl. "Alright. Who is this girl and why did she attack us?"

Usopp sat up, holding his inflamed cheek. "Sanji saved her from being attacked. Maybe our pirate flag spooked her."

Sanji cooed unintelligibly about his 'princess' being so strong. Luffy looked down at Zoro who held his abdomen in pain. His injuries from the battle at Arlong Park must have reopened slightly after that head-butt. The captain walked over and crotched beside the unconscious girl.

"Oi, Nami? Can you bandage her wound? I want her to be our new nakama." His voice was as innocent as the grin on his lips.

The orange haired girl bared her teeth and punched the rubber man in the head. "Why should I help someone who attacked us?!"

Luffy pushed his prized straw hat to hang down his back as he rubbed the bump protruding from his hair. "Because we didn't tell her we were pirates. It's only natural she's be scared, especially after just being attacked by someone else," he pouted.

The navigator sighed and rubbed her temples. She knew he was right, but certainly didn't want to admit it. "Why do you want her to join our crew if she's scared of us?"

"Because she's strong. I mean she took down Zoro with one hit." A simple man with a simple answer. There never was much to Luffy's trail of thought.

Zoro coughed and pushed himself to his feet. "It was a cheap shot. She couldn't pull that on me again." His face was in its normal scowl, but he seemed even more irritated knowing that he was still not in peak condition after his fight with the fishmen.

Nami agreed to patch up the poor girl, but made Luffy promise not to force her to join them if she really didn't want to. Sanji carried the mysterious girl into the kitchen and laid her down on the bench. Nami quickly kicked the ero-cook out and knelt down beside her patient. She gently lifted the soft, white dress up to just under the blonde's bust. The navigator frowned as she wrapped the gauze bandages around her tiny waist.

"It's a shame such a pretty dress had to be ruined. I'm sure it was expensive and one of your favorites." She spoke softly to the sleeping teen. "I know it must've shocked you that those three guys were pirates. None of us really seem like run-of-the-mill thugs. But we aren't like normal pirates. We don't go around hurting people or destroying villages. Well.. Luffy does have a tendency to break buildings when he fights, but he never starts the fights. When you wake up, I'll make sure you see that we're different. Because if they were like all the other pirates, I wouldn't be here."

Nami smiled fondly at the door out to the deck, totally unaware that the girl had been awake the whole time. A knock sounded at the door, and Usopp walked in carrying a small stack of clothes.

"I brought those clothes you asked for. But what are they for?"

"Well obviously she can't keep wearing that ruined dress. She needs clean clothes. Plus these are too big for me, but they look like they'll fit her." Nami lift the pile of clothes next to the still girl before leaving with the sniper.

* * *

Aries sat up gingerly as to not irritate her wound farther. Her dark blue eyes watched the closed door as she got to her feet. The girl's words echoed in her mind.

What does she mean they aren't like other pirates? Does she mean that they aren't going to give me back to the Coyote Ugly crew? I don't want to go through another auction.

She looked back at the table where the girl had laid out fresh clothes. A pair of short shorts and a dark purple shirt sat on the wooden table top. The sheep girl looked down at the dress the prep team made her wear and sure enough, a large dark red stain covered the right side. Small drops of blood even stained the fleece legwarmers. She took off the white legwarmers first before grabbing the dress. She ripped the fleece so it ended a couple of inches below her bust, exposing her bandaged mid-section. She, then, let the stained fabric fall on top of the other pieces.

The blonde girl pulled on the brown shorts, poking a hole in the seam so her rarely exposed nub of a tail could stick out. Finally she knelt down to gather the fleece in her arms.

"Well. I can't just throw this away. It's the only weapon I know how to use." She whispered to herself. She closed her eyes tight, concentrating solely on the warm wool beneath her fingers.

"Wool Wool Blend!"

The fleece seemed to jump about in her arms, stretching and growing, three pieces of clothing becoming one roll of fabric. No trace of blood could be seen. Only pure white wool. Aries took the tight roll of fleece and strapped it to her back using a small piece of rope she found on the floor. Finally she pulled her hair out of the already falling side ponytail. Her wavy blonde tresses fell down to her waist.

_Fighting with it down would be a pain. Better pull it back up._

She pulled her hair up into a high ponytail so it would be out of the way. Now, she was ready to face whatever the pirates had set up for her. Nervously, she walked to the exit, hand pressed against the smooth wood. She took a deep breath, calming her upset stomach, before opening the door. Her fight-or-flight instinct kicked in on hyper drive as she saw the swordsman from before standing directly in front the door, glaring down at her.

"I think it's time you told us who you are." His gruff voice demanding.

Aries opened her mouth to respond, but only a nervous bleat escaped. She gave a tiny cough and nodded. The much taller male placed his large hand on her shoulder and led her to the center of the deck. Sitting before her were the other four members of the pirate crew.

_Only five members? Not much of a crew._

The swordsman pushed down on her shoulder, forcing her to sit down across from the others before taking his place, leaning against the mast. Her eyes measured up each and every member. Usopp wasn't strong physically, but she could tell he was good with the slingshot in his hand. The girl wasn't strong either, but she was sneaky. Aries wanted to rub the back of her head which still ached from the blow the other girl had delivered. Now her eyes roamed over the other three males. Strength and powerful auras radiated from them. Sanji didn't look to threatening with his wiggling and 'loving' gaze, but she remembered the way his muscles felt when he held her. Luffy didn't look to scary either with his vacant stare and finger up his nose, but she had seen him stretch his body, meaning he had devil fruit powers just like she did. Plus he obviously knew how to use his ability to its fullest, while she was still discovering her abilities.

The last member of the pirate crew was the one that affected her the most. The green haired swordsman glared down at her smaller form with obvious disdain. His muscles were tense, ready to attack with the slightest provoke. She shifted uncomfortably under his harsh glare. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on anything but the memories that intense gaze brought back.

She could still hear that evil laughter that plagued her nightmares for several years. And those harsh yellow eyes watching her hungrily from the darkness of the auction hall.

Once again, she let out a nervous bleat, ignoring the strange looks from the orange-haired girl. She shook her head, forcing the thoughts away as she retreated once more into the depths of her mind. Aries shifted to sit on her knees in the formal kneeling position she was used to. She bowed her head, eyes downcast. Her glove covered hands placed in her lap.

"Hello. My name is Aries the Sheep, property of the Coyote Ugly pirate crew and its captain."

The group before her made their own confused noises as she raised her head out of her bow. Her eyes were empty, void of all emotion, as way her voice. The orange haired girl gave a very visible twitch before leaning forward, an angry frown tugging at her lips.

"What do you mean property?" There was a sharp edge to her words, as if the question left a bad taste in her mouth. The boys glanced at her briefly before gazing at Aries.

"I mean what I said. I am a slave that belongs to Captain Coyote."

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**Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review and/or follow! If you have an questions or if something doesn't make sense, don't be afraid to message me about it. I don't bite :P**

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	4. Chapter 4

**Hello all! Sorry for the long wait! I work almost every day, soits hard to find time to write. But I hope you all enjoy it! I send my love and thanks to all those who reviewed and favorited/followed! I dedicate this chapter to y'all! :)**

**Disclaimer: One Piece = Oda-sensei's**

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The Straw Hat pirates sat in silence, staring at the emotionless blonde kneeling in front of them. Nami stood up and walked towards Aries. The navigator gripped her hand in a tight fist. She raised her fist and struck the girl hard, knocking her over. The blonde sheep girl fell onto her side. A small yelp passed through her lips and her eyes burned fiercely.

Aries glared up at the older girl and bared her teeth. "What was that for?"

Nami shook her hand, her knuckles bruised and scratched from the rough bone horns on the blonde's head. She leveled her glare with Aries. "I don't understand how you can say that! You sound like you don't care about being the property of pirates!"

A low growl rumbled in her throat as she pushed herself into a crouching position. "Of course I care! I hate it! All I want is to be free! But I can't get away from them! They're too strong!"

The orange haired girl gritted her teeth, her heavy wooden staff spinning in her hand. "You have Devil Fruit powers! Doesn't that mean you're like super strong?"

The blonde girl felt her throat tighten around the words she wanted to scream. She felt the fleece gloves start to shift against her arms. "I don't know how to use my powers!"

"How can you not know how to use your devil fruit abilities? How long have you had them?" Nami spoke with the same tone of voice she would have used on a small child.

Aries felt her lip pull back from her teeth as she snarled at the orange haired girl. "I've had them for 5 years, but I'd like to see you try and master something when you're always kept in seastone handcuffs!"

She shifted her weight to the balls of her feet and pushed off them, leaping at Nami, fist pulled back. Her young face contorted into an ugly scowl.

Before she could fully extend her arm, the green haired man grabbed her wrist with his much larger hand. He twisted her arm behind her back and held his sword to her throat. She held her breathe, eyes wide in fear, and cast panicked glances to the other crew members. Sanji was yelling at the swordsman for being rough with the small blonde, but Aries couldn't really make out his words. She struggled in his grip, but he was much stronger than her.

After a few minutes of fruitless struggle, she gave up and let her body fall limp in Zoro's grasp. She raised her head and saw Usopp standing in front of her, a sad expression on his face. His left cheek was still red and puffy from her punch earlier. She cast her eyes away in shame.

"We can help you, ya know. We're strong. If you would just tell us how to, I just know we can set you free." His eyes shined with honesty as he pleaded with her. He looked at Zoro and nodded his head. The man grunted and released her arm from his iron grip.

Aries stumbled forward and Usopp quickly grabbed her upper arms to help steady her. She nodded her head numbly before turning to look at the other pirates on the deck. Her deep blue eyes took in the sight of the other four pirates before turning back to the long nosed boy holding her up. She hardened her gaze and jutted out her chin defiantly.

"How do I know I can trust you. You all are pirates."

"If we were gonna hurt you, don't you think we would've done it by now?" Luffy spoke from his spot on the wooden deck of the ship, eyes shining with his innocent honesty.

The sheep girl let her eyes search his for any sign of lies, and when she didn't see any, she turned back to Usopp. She let out a heavy sigh and moved out of the sniper's grip. She knelt down in front of the Straw Hat crew and they gathered around her.

"I was born on a island in the North Blue that specialized in training fisherman. It was a beautiful place that was warm year round, and the fisherman from our island were the best of the best. There wasn't a fish market in the world that didn't have at least one fisherman from our island." Her voice sounded far away as she spoke. Images of the turquoise waves and small boats floating just off the shore passed her mind's eye. As she spoke, she slowly untied the rope that was holding the roll of wool against her back. It fell against the deck soundlessly.

"My father was one of the best teachers the island had so he had a lot of students. One day, when he and his students were pulling in one of the drag nets, they found a strange looking fruit among the fish. It was large apple-shaped fruit, but it was pure white and fuzzy with a thick, brown, curled stem. One of the students recognized it as a Devil Fruit and immediately suggested that they sell it to pirates. Devil Fruits are very rare and some people are willing to pay millions of beris for one. But daddy wasn't so sure it was a good idea. There were really bad pirates in the North Blue around that time."

Aries paused and ran her fingers through her long bangs, shifting them out of her eyes. Luffy and Usopp were leaning forward, waiting for her to continue talking. Nami, Zoro, and Sanji looked less interested, but she could tell they were also waiting for her to start speaking again.

"Needless to say, the discovery of the fruit split the main village in two parts: those in favor of selling the fruit and those against it. Dad insisted that the fruit stay in our house, so no one could get to it. I was just a kid, but I could see the arguing and fighting escalating. I didn't want Dad to get hurt, so during one of the many arguments, I ate it. I ate the fruit without a second thought. I just wanted the fighting to stop. When Daddy realized what I had done, he was so mad. I remember he tried to hit me, but my horns had started to grow." She paused once again to run her fingers over the rough horns spiraling from her head.

"He got a pretty nasty cut from them." A small hollow laugh left her lips. "But he wasn't angry that I ate the fruit. Oh no. He was worried about me. The reason he was fighting with the men was because one of his students had advertised that the island had a devil fruit for sale. Which meant that pirates were on their way. If they found out there was no more fruit to buy, things could get violent. And he was right. A few days later, a pirate crew came and started destroying the villages by the shore. It didn't take them long to find my father and I in our house. I don't remember much about them, but the captain, the man who killed my father…"

Her fists clenched on her knees. Her shoulders shook as she swallowed the sob that crept up her throat.

"His name was Bellamy, a rookie from the North Blue who had recently allied himself under a really powerful pirate in the Grand Line." Aries took a deep breath and raised her head to stare at a spot on the deck between two of the pirates across from her. She could feel herself retreating back into the depths of her mind.

"After they killed everyone on the island, they took me with them to the Grand Line to be sold in the biggest human auction house in the world. I was bought and sold so many times, I lost count. A year later, I was bought by the Captain Coyote and brought to the East Blue. I've been his slave for 4 years now. He has sold me to many people, only to kill them, steal everything of value, and of course, take me back to the ship to do it all over again on the next island."

She could tell that her voice was empty, but she didn't care. She looked up to observe the group's reactions. Sanji and Usopp looked at her kneeling figure with large teary eyes. Nami was frowning at her, but still looked wary. Zoro wasn't looking at her, instead, his eyes were on Luffy.

And Luffy was leaning back against the railing of the Going Merry, eyes shrouded by his signature straw hat. The young captain was silent for a few moments before getting to his feet. He walked over to Aries slowly, eyes still hidden by the rim of his straw hat. He stopped directly in front of her.

"Do you want to be free?"

Luffy's voice rang loud in her ears. She could feel his heated gaze on her skin. Her lips twitched down in a deep frown as she matched his heated gaze with her own.

"Just because I wish for it doesn't mean it will happen," she spoke harshly, the words dripping like poison from her lips. Aries could feel the familiar sting of tears behind her eyes.

The dark haired boy crouched down to be on her level. The blonde girl could finally see his eyes. He stared into her blue eyes with his intense, serious gaze. His black eyes mirrored his confident aura.

"Do you want to be free?" he asked again.

Aries couldn't hold back her tears any longer. They fell down her flushed cheeks like waterfalls as she sobbed.

"Yes!"

She covered her face with her gloved hands and sobbed into the soft fleece. She felt someone rub the top of her head gently.

"All right then! Let's go kick this Captain Coyote's ass!" Luffy shouted to the sky with a laugh. Sounds of agreement came from the rest of the crew.

The sheep girl looked up from her hands and watched as Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji made their way to the side of the ship.

"There is a slight problem, though." she spoke quietly, small hiccups interrupting her breathing.

"Hm?" The three boys turned to look at her.

"I don't know who Captain Coyote is or what he looks like. Not a lot of people on the crew know." She spoke hesitantly, as if afraid of how they would take the news.

The three tilted their heads, processing the information, before shouting in confusion.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THE CAPTAIN IS?!"

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**Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter we will learn more about the mysterious Captain Coyote! Don't forget to review and follow! Have a nice day!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Helloo everyone! Sorry I'm getting this out so late. I wanted to finish it sooner, but I work almost every day now. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**OOHH! I got art of Aries! Does she look like you pictured? The outfit is one she will get later on. :) art/OC-Aries-Commission-36585757**

**One piece belongs to Oda-sensei, of course :)**

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Aries flinched at the loud shouting coming from the three men before her. A small bleat escaped her mouth as she covered her face with her hands.

"I mean he's a very mysterious person! Very few people in the crew know who he is. Even the marines have no clue!" Her voice was shrill with fear. She honestly thought they would hit her. That's what the Coyote pirates had done when she told them something they didn't want to hear.

"She's right. Take a look at his wanted poster." Nami pulled a sheet of paper from the newspaper sitting in her lawn chair. There on one of the back pages was an article with numerous pictures of wanted pirates. The biggest picture was the silhouette of a tall man, hidden by the shadows and smoke that surrounded him. The only spot of color was his bright yellow eyes. The poster read, "Wanted: Coyote. Dead or Alive. Bounty: 28,000,000 beri."

The timid sheep girl shrunk down at the sight of the poster and turned her back to Nami. Those eyes had haunted her nightmares for so many years. All she wanted was to be free of them.

"Someone in the crew has to know who he is." Usopp said, tugging at his bushy curls. "Do you know who would know and where they are?"

Aries shifted her weight to her left leg, lightly scuffing the toe of her brown boot against the wooden deck of the Merry. "The first mate knows." Her voice came out strained, as if something had a tight grip on her vocal cords. Her fingers tugging at the fleece gloves that covered her arms. "But Shin won't give up that information freely."

Her delicate hand rubbed up and down her left arm, slightly squeezing the pale skin, trying to will her heart to slow down it's erratic beating.

"So we have to kick this guy Shin's ass first, then we can kick the captain's ass?" Luffy said, cocking his head to the side.

"That's what it sounds like." The green haired swordsman crossed his arms over his chest. "So," his sharp eyes slide over to the shivering blonde, "where do we find this guy?"

Her hands moved to grip the rough rope at her side, subconsciously keeping her only protection close by as she stared at the males in shock and shook her head, sending her wavy blonde hair into her face and over her shoulder. "You can't beat Shin. Shin has never lost a fight. Not ever." Her dark blue eyes filled with fear once again.

"We can beat him." Luffy said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Nami walked towards Aries and laid a hand on her shoulder. When the younger girl looked up at her, the tangerine haired navigator gave her a reassuring smile. "They're stronger than they look, trust me. I didn't think anyone could beat Arlong, but they sure proved me wrong."

The sheep girl felt her eyes widen and she turned to look over the guys a few feet away. "They really defeated Arlong?" Her eyes passed over Luffy and Usopp, their face splitting grins made her lips twitch into a half smile of her own.

The long nosed sniper rubbed under his nose and winks. "It wasn't that hard."

Sanji lightly kicked the liar behind his knees, sending him tumbling to the deck. "You mostly just ran away. So don't make my sweet Aries-hime think you're some tough guy."

Luffy chuckled and put his arms behind his neck. "We never lose." He took a few steps forward, stopping directly in front of the enslaved girl. "Tell us where this Shin guy is and we will set you free."

Aries stared into his deep black eyes and felt the hot burn of tears behind her own blue ones once again. Her heart leapt in her chest and her hands tugged at the rope again. No matter how much her mind screamed that she couldn't trust them, that they were the same as all the other pirates she had met, she couldn't look away from the young captain's tanned face.

"I'm not exactly sure where he is, but I can find him for you. He always does the same thing when we reach a new island." As she spoke, her eyes traced the dark crescent scar under the dark haired boy's left eye. His wide grin came back as he closed his eyes. He laughed through his teeth and took her fleece covered wrist in his strong hand.

"Then let's go!" He tugged her to her feet and dragged her behind him to the railing of the Going Merry. Aries' grip on the rope around her fleece roll tightened, pulling it up to her body. "Come on Zoro, Sanji! Let's go!"

"Hold on, just a moment Luffy!" Nami shouted, stamping her foot. "You can't take both Zoro and Sanji with you! What are Usopp and I gonna do if some of the Coyote pirates come looking for the girl we stole from them?"

Luffy stopped mid-step and moved his free hand to rub his chin. His sudden halt caused Aries to slam into his toned body. The force caused her to fall backwards onto her butt.

"Yea, you and Usopp suck at fighting." He tilted his head back to look at his two strongest teammates. He opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by the chef.

"I'll stay behind to protect Nami-swan, but you better beat up the guy responsible for hurting my dear Aries-hime." Sanji grinned, giving the girl a flirty wink before dancing towards the orange haired navigator.

Luffy nodded and jerked Aries back to her feet. "All right! Let's go!"

Nami waved as the two ran towards the ship's railing. "We'll be ready to sail by the time you get back! Just gotta steal from-I mean be one step ahead of the Coyotes!" Her eyes had changed into shining beri signs. The long nosed sniper groaned in the background and rubbed his still swollen cheek.

Zoro jumped over the railing, landing on the dock below effortlessly. Luffy pulled the still shaking sheep girl to the railing and jumped over, taking her with him. A shrill bleat left her throat as they landed. Somehow she had managed to keep her feet under her. The force of the landing sent shock waves up her legs. She winced as gravity tried to pull her down, tugging painfully at her stitched side.

Shakily, she straightened up and yanked her wrist free of the rubber man's grip. He laughed as she tied the rope back around her upper torso. Zoro nodded his head towards the spiral of fabric before voicing his confusion.

"What is that?"

Aries gently rubbed her bandaged side, looking back over her left at the white, soft wool. "Wool. It's the only weapon I have."

"Wool." he scoffed. The swordsman didn't even try to hide the snide tone in his voice.

Aries glared up at him, pouting out her lower lip. "Sorry my devil fruit powers are not as cool as your captain's."

"What can you do with it?" Luffy's voice was laced with excitement, his eyes almost shining like stars.

The shy girl blinked before crossing her arms over her large breasts, palms touching her bare shoulders. She closed her blue eyes and spoke with a clear voice, "Wool Wool Stretch." The wool covering her chest started to move against her skin, growing. The wool spool on her back also began to shift. The boys watched in awe as some wool moved from the spool on the girl's back to form racer back straps on the fleece tube top she had made from her dress. As she moved her hands from her shoulders, the material settled down, ceasing its jumping.

She opened her eyes, glancing at the pirates, gaging their reactions. The mint haired swordsman still had his stoic face, but his glare wasn't harsh anymore. Her eyes moved over to Luffy, who's eyes had turned to stars.

"Cool~! What else can you do?!" The young captain bounced on the balls of his feet, fists clenched excitedly in front of him.

Aries shifted her weight from one leg to the other nervously, and walked passed them, towards the main street. "Not much more. I can stretch and mold wool or fleece into any shape I need, but I can't create it. I have to have the material at hand. I can also harden it, I think. I haven't mastered that yet."

The two followed closely behind her as she led them down the main drag, Luffy still chattering about how cool her ability was. Her cheeks heated up and she tugged her bangs into her eyes, trying to hide her colored face. She certainly wasn't used to compliment or kindness. Once she calmed herself down, she starting looking left and right every so often, but never once stopped walking.

Zoro felt himself get annoyed with the lack of answers he had. "So how are you gonna find this guy, huh?"

The blonde girl looked back at him from over her shoulder. "Shin always does the same thing on every island we visit." She turned forward again and look a left down a side road. "He always visits a local bar and drinks non-stop for the day."

Luffy cocked his head to the side, confused. "So you know which bar he's in?"

"I have no clue which bar he's in." She stated, clenching and unclenching her fists.

"Then how the hell are you gonna find him?!" Zoro yelled, a vein throbbing at his temple. This girl was proving to be more trouble than she was worth in his opinion.

"Trust me, we'll all know which bar it is when we find it." Her voice held a matter-of-fact tone that signaled that the conversation was over.

"How well do you know this guy? I mean, you must be close if you know what he does in his free time." The pirate captain asked innocently, watching her wavy ponytail sway with her steps. The blonde stopped walking, her back straight as a board. Luffy hummed in confusion before walking around her. He bent over to look at her eyes that were hidden by her long bangs. Her blue orbs were hard and cold.

The rubber boy frowned. "Sheep-girl?"

"We aren't close. Far from it. I hate that man." She gripped her fists so tightly that her manicured nails cut into the soft skin of her palms. Aries let her head fall slightly, her soft bangs covering a majority of her face. "Shin is the one in charge of me, and since he found watching a slave boring, he would go out of his way to make my life hell. After every auction, he would wait longer and longer to come steal me back. I lost count of how many times I was almost killed or… worse." She trailed off a little before speaking again, " But that wasn't enough entertainment for him. During the first year I was with the Coyote crew, I tried to escape every night."

The girl walked a few steps to her right and leaned her back against the rough stone of the building there. She unclenched her fists and inspected the many crescent cuts in her palms before continuing.

"Shin got tired of chasing me down, so he came up with his brilliant idea. He would fight me once a month, and if I could beat him, I would be set free. He called it my monthly Freedom Fight. Of course, I was never able to beat him. I mean, I was only 12 when they started. But to make it even better for him, when I lost, I had to spend the rest of that month in seastone shackles so I wouldn't be able to try and escape again. So I basically have spent the last 4 years in energy draining shackles, almost insuring that I'd never beat him."

Luffy frowned deeply, crossing his arms in front of him. He watched the blonde girl before him rub her eyes with her hands. He could feel Zoro shift beside him. His swordsman friend was also frowning at the girl, but his eyes were angry. The dark haired boy felt the same. How dare someone prey on someone weaker. Now they really wanted to kick this guy's ass. Suddenly, a bell went off in the rubber boy's head.

"Sheep-girl, what's seastone?" He stuck his index finger back in his ear, scratching.

Aries lifted an eyebrow at him and placed her hands on her hips. "You're a devil fruit user and you don't know about seastone?"

"Nope." Simple answer from a seemingly simple boy.

She resisted the urge to deeply sigh before she spoke. "Seastone is a rare natural substance that gives off the same wavelength as the sea. So it's affect on devil fruit users is the same as being under water. We can't move. It's horrible." As she spoke, she rubbed her fingers against her wrists, massaging the fading bruises hiding under her fleece arm warmers.

"Let's keep looking," she said coldly, pushing off the wall and continuing down the road. The boys followed silently, processing the information.

The group walked on a few more minutes in silence. They turned down another side street. Farther down the street was a crowd of people standing around outside a building.

"I wonder what's going on over there?" Luffy had pushed his precious straw hat down to hang around his neck.

Aries stopped walking, watching the crowd with wary eyes. Zoro and the rubber boy followed suit.

"This the place?" The swordsman placed a hand on the sheath of his sword.

"Maybe…" The girl took a few steps closer to the crowd. A few seconds later, a body broke through a window and flew into a pile of crates across the street. Aries let out a frightened bleat and covered her head with her arms. Zoro drew his sword, ready to battle, and Luffy raised his fists. The crowd around the building's entrance scattered, screaming.

Aries slowly straightened her back, her hands clenched tightly against her breasts. "Yeah, this is it." Her eyes were locked on the smashed crates and injured body of the man.

"I thought you said that Shin guy was strong. He can't be too strong if he gets thrown through windows." Luffy said matter-of-factly, sticking a finger in his ear.

The blonde walked passed the boys once again, walking up to the bar's entrance. "That wasn't Shin, but I bet you 100 beris Shin is the one that sent him flying."

Zoro grunted and pushed his captain to follow the wavy haired girl. The dark haired boy stumbled slightly before catching his balance.

The inside of the bar was dingy and dirty with dim lighting, giving the room a hazy yellowish glow. Aries scrunched up her nose in disgust. It reeked of old alcohol and vomit. Her eyes began to water from the awful smell as she looked around the room for the brown haired man. She felt the straw hats come up beside her.

"See him?" the swordsman asked, hand on the hilt of his sword.

Her blue eyes locked on the broad back on a man hunched over the bar. She nodded slightly, her wavy ponytail bouncing with her movement. "Yeah, that's him. Leaning over the bar." She walked a few steps closer and pushed her shoulders back, willing her shaking body to calm down. "Shin!"

Her soft voice sounded loud in the silent room. The man sat up and turned to face the source of the voice. His short brown hair was wet with booze, some stray droplets running down his face, following the pale lines of old scars. His hard eyes were glossy with intoxication. His thin lips formed a lopsided grin.

"Lamb! I see you were able to get away without my help this time. Shame though, we won't be able to rob the fool. Heard he's bid almost bet your high score." His words were slurred and he could barely sit up straight. He leaned back against the bar, resting his elbows on the polished wood. His glossy eyes slid to look over the two men standing closely behind her. "I see you made some new friends."

Luffy took a few steps forward, stepping in front of the blonde girl. "I'm here to kick your ass."

Loud laughter filled the room. Shin slumped forward on his stood as his chuckles racked his body. He slowly got up from his seat, wobbling as he fought to stay standing. "And why would you wanna do that?" His words lost some of the drunken slur as he studied the three teens standing before him.

"To set Sheep-girl free." Luffy pulled his fist back, ready to strike. The older male laughed again, stumbling a few steps to the left.

"Oh really? So you think a scrawny twig and a wannabe swordsman can beat me? Good luck." Shin chuckled again before finishing the beer in his hand.

The dark haired pirate growled and launched himself at the drunk man. Aries raised her hand to stop him, but it was too late. In the blink of an eye, Luffy had smashed into a cluttered table in the corner of the bar. Zoro drew his white sword and dashed at Shin.

Time seemed to slow down as the young blonde watched her charge almost dance out of the way of the slashes, his fluid movement impossible to predict. The swordsman noticed this and stopped swinging his blade. In the split second of his hesitation, Shin punched him in the jaw, sending him flying into the wall behind the bar.

Aries winced at the sound of shattering glass and the painful, dull thud of Zoro's body hitting the wooden floor. Her icy glare remained on the large man before her, watching his water-like motions. The large man laughed loudly.

"I told y'all that you were no match for me!"

He turned back to the girl, wiping his face with the red bandana that had been tied around his upper arm. A deep frown tugged at her pink lips. _I knew he's unbeatable. Well, if he's finally gonna kill me, I'm going down fighting._

The skin around her horns began to itch slightly as her eyes glanced over to the direction Luffy had flown in. He was slowly pulling his head out of the hole it had made in the wall. When it finally popped free, he turned to Shin, angry.

He opened his mouth to yell, but stopped when Aries raised her hand. The itch around her horns slowly became a dull burning sensation as the rough bone spiraled farther out of her head. Her face was blank as the bone stopped growing. As the burn faded, a cocky smirk stretched across her pink, pouty lips. She shifted her weight to her right leg, resting her hands on her hips.

The Straw Hat captain watched on, confused, but silent. Behind the bar, Zoro got back to his feet. He removed his black bandana from his head, and tied it back on his arm.

"Guess this is her fight now." he muttered, eyeing her larger horns with interest.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Ram. It's been a while." Shin raised his fist up, moving fluidly from side to side.

"It's barely been a month, you oaf. Are you ready for our fight? I don't think you've fully recovered from last time." her voice portrayed the same smug attitude that was now plastered on her face.

The brown haired man threw his head back and laughed. "If I remember correctly, our last fight ended with you begging for your life."

"Tch. You must have rocks for brains. I would never beg for my so-called life." Her words fell from her lips like poison as she spit at him. "But today, my life will begin. Today, I will be free."

Shin matched her cocky grin and assumed a fighting stance. "So are we following our usual rules?"

Aries pulled her brown boots and socks off, and bounced a few times on the balls of her now bare feet. "Same rules, different reward. When I win, not only will I be free of your ugly ass, you will tell me and my new friends were the Captain is."

Her opponent's face darkened, his aura turning serious. "Then I guess I shouldn't play around this time."

"Doesn't matter, because this time, you will be the one begging for your pathetic life." Aries said, her cocky grin stretched wider, her white teeth shining in the dingy light. She moved her left foot back, taking a fighting stance, and raised her fists in front of her face. She bounced her weight from one leg to the other, keeping her body loose.

"Enough talk. Time for me to finally beat you!"

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**Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be the fight between Aries and Shin! Finally some real action!**

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